Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
Material and Heat transfer
Because the earth is cooling down, large density and temperature differences arise. In contrast to the hot inner core, the outermost layer of the Earth is cold and hard (lithosphere). The lithosphere isdivided into several very large plates, which drift on partly molten mantle material (asthenosphere). The movement is driven by the heat convection in the mantle. On the one hand hot molten rock material rises from the deep mantle to the surface (e.g., beneath the mid-oceanic ridges).
On the other hand cold plates from the surface descend into the mantle at the so called subduction zones and will eventually be assimilated by the surrounding mantle material.
Our group is interested in the modelling of flow and deformation processes of the solid Earth. For example, how is an oceanic plate subducted into the mantle or how is a continent deformed when a mountain chain is formed?